Page 20 of Pragma
I snort. “Three against two is hardly a trap. Ling Wang wasn’t even there.”
“I see. I trust you handled the aftermath discreetly?” She looks at River, and after he nods at her, turns her dark eyes my way. The white strands peeking among the coal black hair are tied in a tight bun on her nape. She’s aged a bit, but doesn’t look in her fifties.
“I will off the guy sooner rather than later…discretion or not,” I let her know. I don’t care if he’s the grandchild of a Triad head. Any punishment from her will be worth it.
“One must not always think so much about what one should do. But rather what one should be,” she cryptically declares, and drops the butt of the cigarette in the ashtray before taking a new one from her little purse.
“Meaning?” My back stiffens as I try to decipher her words.
She lights her cig, and then starts tapping her fingernails on the sofa armrest. Themon,the family emblem of two snake heads inside a circle with their tails entwined, is on the ring around her pinky finger, and it’s exactly the same as the one I’m wearing. Every member of the Hebikawa family has one—me and Ane-san are the only ones alive.
“Are you happy to be in the Big Apple?”
“Like a squealing birthday girl.” I glaze my words with sarcasm.
“I’ve been thinking for a while about your future. This is the right time for you to grow in the family. You need to fortify your position now more than ever.” She pauses before giving me herkumicholook. “You are going to get married within this year.”
“What?” I spring up from the sofa, shocked to my bones as I cry out, “Ane-san, you can’t be serious!”
“I. Am,” she states icily.
“Well, I am not!”
“Urusai!” Her tone is commanding. It makes me grit my teeth as I move my glare to the floor. I can feel every muscle tensing, as if not only my mind, but also my body is rejecting her words.
“It’s decided,” she states with a final tone. “You knew this day would come. The futurekumichoneeds to have a strong marriage.”
“What you mean is that I have to secure a strong connection with a powerful family so that other organizations will think twice before fucking with me.”
She sighs. I hear in it all the weight of her exasperation. “I don’t know why you are so against it. Is there something…someone I should know about?” Her eyes narrow.
I can’t stop my gaze from moving to River. Standing near the desk, looking unaffected by the news. Unfeeling, fucking unbothered like a damn statue. Saying nothing.Nothing.
“I’ll take your silence as a no. Just get rid of whomever you’re having fun with. It’s never been hard for you in the past,” she continues, as I look at the white wall in front of me without actually seeing it. “You will meet the first candidate tomorrow. There are five in total. Youwillpick one…by the end of this month, otherwise I’ll do it for you.”
“No,” I growl. It’s too fucking fast.
“Yes.”
“Or, hear me out, no!” I sound like a bratty kid, but fuck, I don’t want a fucking wife. Not when I haven’t even started exploring whatever the fuck I feel for River.
“Kuso!” she mutters. “Marrying for convenience is archaic but necessary for the heir of the Hebikawa family. Your grandfather did it, and I as well.”
Yeah, she did, with the son of an import/export tycoon who lives his separate, bachelor-like life back in Japan. The marriage helped reinforce the legal side of the family business.
I never thought this day would come this fast. I’m too young to get fucking married. But do I have a choice?
I suddenly feel her hand touching mine. And when I look at her face, I see pain flashing inside her eyes. “Your father—” Her words are cut off by a knock on the door.
“Come in!” she clips, dropping her hand.
One of her men pushes the door open. He bows, and then tellsKumichoit’s time for her next appointment.
She nods and slowly stands up, grabbing her purse while dropping the cigarette in the ashtray. “Let me take care of the Triad for now. You focus on the construction company. We need solid legal foundations to hide all the illegal businesses. And don’t ditch Masa again, or there will be consequences.”
“What kind of consequences?” I’m not done fucking with that snitch.
She chuckles lightly, but I can hear the vicious intent behind it. “Why ruin the surprise?”
